Latest news with #Crowell
USA Today
12 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Notre Dame commit Caden Crowell named Indiana Player of the Year
Notre Dame commit Caden Crowell, the No. 2 ranked player in Indiana's Class of 2025, was named Indiana Player of the Year following a spectacular 2025 season. The left-hander was magical on the mound, allowing just two earned runs over 55 innings while recording 97 strikeouts. He walked just 11 batters. Crowell recorded a perfect 6-0 mark with an obscene 0.53 WHIP. He did not allow a single extra-base-hit or any stolen bases the entire spring, holding opponents to a .098 batting average. Ridiculous numbers. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, who also plays first base, hit .375 with 14 extra-base hits, including three HRs, three triples and eight doubles. He also had four steals and drove in 24. Crowell, who is one of the top 50 prospects in the country, helped Valparaiso win its first-ever Class 4A state championship. The question now is whether Crowell will make it to South Bend and pitch for the Fighting Irish. It will all depend on how things shake out in the Major League Baseball Draft in July. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave
Miami Herald
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Alabama lands 2026 headliners: RB Ezavier Crowell, TE Mack Sutter
Alabama landed a commitment from four-star recruit Ezavier Crowell, the No. 2 running back in the Class of 2026. The Jackson, Ala., native committed to the Crimson Tide on Thursday over offers from Auburn, Texas and Georgia. He'll be joined in the class by one of the top 100 recruits in the country and No. 6 overall tight end, Mack Sutter. Sutter, a multi-sport athlete from Dunlap, Ill., had interest from many college football powers in the past two years. He caught seven TD passes as a junior last season. Crowell led Jackson High to a Class 4A state championship last season, rushing for 1,964 yards and 31 touchdowns. He ranks No. 33 overall and No. 3 in the state of Alabama, per the 247 Sports composite. Crowell, who reclassified from the 2027 class in January, ran for 1,737 yards as a 2023 freshman at Jackson HS. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Chicago Tribune
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Valparaiso's Caden Crowell, the 2025 Post-Tribune Baseball Player of the Year, is in ‘best possible position'
There are variables involved with recent Valparaiso graduate Caden Crowell's next team. But about Crowell's most recent team, which won the Class 4A state championship on June 21, there's no uncertainty in his mind. 'It was special,' Crowell said. 'I've played with a lot of different teams. But if I had to pick one team to play on for the rest of my life, it would be this team.' Behind Crowell, a Notre Dame recruit and Major League Baseball draft prospect, the Vikings made history with their first state title, following their first regional and semistate titles. In the championship game, the 6-foot-3 Crowell tossed a two-hitter with eight strikeouts and two walks in an efficient 85 pitches as the Vikings beat Evansville North 5-0. He also went 4-for-4 with a run-scoring ground-rule double. Crowell, a left-hander who also plays first base, tied the 4A championship game records for fewest hits allowed by a pitcher, set in 2004, and for the most hits by a batter, most recently accomplished in 2001. Crowell, the 2025 Post-Tribune Baseball Player of the Year, closed his stellar career for the Vikings (26-5) by going 9-0 with a 0.25 ERA, allowing only three runs — two earned — and 18 hits in 55 innings. He struck out 97 and walked just 11. He also hit .375 with three homers, 24 RBIs and 32 runs scored. Valparaiso coach Todd Evans said Crowell 'puts himself in the best possible position' through his physical and mental preparation, including working out and studying scouting reports. 'Caden set high goals for himself this year, and he achieved just about every one of them,' Evans said. 'At the beginning of the year, we always meet as a team at my house, and we set individual and team goals. His individual goal was to be Gatorade player of the year. He did not achieve that, unfortunately. But he's going to end up achieving just about every other goal. 'He's a North-South All-Star. … We win a state championship. There's just plenty of other accolades that are going to make his senior year very, very memorable.' Crowell established himself as an impact player when he was a freshman. But he saved his best for last. 'My velo was up from last year, so it's easier to put guys away earlier,' Crowell said. 'But pitching-wise, it was just a confidence level. It was knowing that when I go out there and have my best stuff, there's no one in the country who can touch me. I just go out there and just say, 'Here's my stuff, have at it. If you get a hit, good for you. The next guy's not going to.' 'And just the trust factor of my team behind me, that was huge too. But it was just knowing having the most confidence going into every game and just attacking guys and not pitching around them.' Crowell said he weighed 210 pounds at the beginning of the season, up from 190, but settled in between 200 and 205. He boosted his speed on the bases, his endurance on the mound and the velocity of his fastball. 'I was up to 92 (mph) last year, and I was up to 94 this year,' Crowell said. 'But my tail-end velocity is what really went up. I was sitting 2 to 3 miles an hour harder consistently throughout the whole game, and I could hold my velocity. In the regional championship, I was still up to 93 in the last inning, and that was really good.' Crowell also produced offensively, particularly later in the season. 'Hitting-wise, I started out slow,' he said. 'I was putting so much pressure on myself hitting because I wanted to get my name out there as a two-way and really assert myself as that. Finally, I was like, 'I just need to relax.' I hit like .600 in the postseason and just went off from there. It definitely was just the confidence in the work I put in in the offseason and trusting that.' Where that work takes Crowell, who was committed to Louisville earlier in his high school career, remains to be seen. He's scheduled to report to Notre Dame on Aug. 25. The draft begins July 13. 'We'll see what happens,' he said. 'I've definitely had a lot of teams interested, but it's going to be a tough decision to make. I'll be talking with my family, my people that are in my corner, my support system, just seeing what they all say and seeing what's the best option for me for the long run.' Evans knows Crowell has options. 'At the beginning of the year, that's the time when a lot of scouts are more active because once the college season gets going, it's a little bit more difficult to swing by those high school stadiums,' Evans said. 'But at the end of the year, we're facing Lake Central and Josh Flores is on the mound, and every MLB team is represented. We're facing Logan Cotton against Crown Point the week after, every MLB team is represented. When we're facing Javy Carrera against Boone Grove, every radar gun is up behind the backstop. 'I don't know where his draft status is right now, but it's definitely a possibility. It's definitely something on the radar. If and when that comes to fruition, decisions will have to be made. Obviously, Caden and his dad are well aware of what the process can look like, and they've taken steps to make sure if and when that happens, they're going to be in the best position possible, whether it be academically, athletically at Notre Dame, or playing for a professional baseball team.' Indeed, Crowell can rely on his father, Jim, as a particularly valuable resource. A 1992 Valparaiso graduate, Jim Crowell played at the University of Indianapolis and then spent 13 seasons in professional baseball, including parts of three in the major leagues. 'We've always had a unique bond,' Caden Crowell said. 'Being able to really appreciate him and understand he's made it to the highest level and he's done it with the best, you have to admit dad's right. The high school me wants to be like, 'No, I know what I'm talking about. You don't.' But you trust he knows what he's talking about. 'He's always been someone I've looked up to. He was an undrafted free agent and made his way to the big leagues. That's from hard work and being able to be the best you. He's someone I look up to in all facets of life, just the way he works and how much he cares about me and helped me be the best I can be.' Jim Crowell has been a coach for Caden and some of his teammates for as long as he can remember, including as part of the Vikings' staff, adding to the significance of their state title. 'He's the reason I am where I am today,' Caden Crowell said. 'He's given everything to me. He's helped me become the best me. 'When we were growing up, we had this team with my dad, Triple Crown Lightning, so we've been playing together since we were like 8. This has always been a goal of ours, and without my teammates, without their support and the coaches' support, we would have never gotten to this point. The reason we got to where we are is just because our team went out there and played for each other. There was no one for themselves. It was awesome.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alabama lands elite 2026 running back, top in-state target
One of the Alabama Crimson Tide's top 2026 recruiting targets, regardless of position, a commitment decision has now officially come from elite running back Ezavier Crowell. Announced via a post on social media Thursday afternoon, Crowell has now officially committed to Alabama, giving the Crimson Tide's 2026 class one of the nation's top running backs. Crowell chose the Crimson Tide over a list of additional finalists that included programs such as Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, and Texas. Advertisement One of the biggest additions for Alabama so far this cycle, Crowell currently ranks as the nation's No. 33 prospect, regardless of position, in the 2026 class, according to the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings. A highly-rated four-star prospect, Crowell is also considered as the nation's No. 2 running back in the class, as well as the No. 3 player in the state of Alabama where he attends Jackson High School. Following the commitment of Crowell to Alabama, the Crimson Tide's 2026 recruiting class now has 11 commits, eight of which are rated as four-star's or higher. Crowell is also the second running back to commit to Alabama this week alone, as three-star Javari Burnett flipped to the Crimson Tide from Illinois on Monday. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: 2026 running back Ezavier Crowell commits to Alabama football
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alabama lands a commitment from Rivals' No. 1 RB Ezavier Crowell
Ezavier Crowell has locked in his college decision. Rivals' No. 1 running back in the Class of 2026 committed to Alabama. The Crimson Tide edged out Auburn, Georgia and Texas for the blue-chipper from Jackson (Ala.) High School, who has been trending toward staying in-state and playing for Kalen DeBoer dating back to last fall. Advertisement Multiple trips back to Tuscaloosa this spring after reclassifying into the current recruiting cycle, including an official visit on June 20 weekend, made the decision even simpler for Crowell. "The overall visit there was amazing. The feel was amazing -- and I feel that I can be there and change things around," Crowell told Rivals of his commitment to Alabama. "My biggest thing is how the staff welcomes you in as many," he continued. "I had a great time with the running backs, spending time with them and telling me we can do something great there. Spending time with Coach (Ryan) Grubb and Coach G (Robert Gillespie) -- their message was to come be a part of something great. They've made me feel like a priority." Crowell has made upwards of 15 visits to the Capstone dating back to last fall. Advertisement Alabama continued to stand tall with the top-50 prospect in the Rivals250 after each visit to campus. "Every time I'm back, it just feels right. You can't fake the culture ... it's built into everything they do," Crowell explained. "Seeing other schools has been good for perspective, but Alabama always holds up." Gillespie has courted Crowell as a priority target from the jump in this recruitment. That theme was furthered when the four-star RB jumped up into the 2026 class. "Our relationship has definitely grown. Every visit, our conversations get deeper — not just about football but life, too," Crowell said. "I feel like he really understands me and what I'm looking for." "The more I'm around, the more I see how detailed and organized everything is. Nothing is done just to be done — there's always a purpose behind it. That stood out a lot," he added.
